Developmental Program Admissions and Application Information

 

 Developmental Program Admissions

The graduate program in Developmental Psychology at UNL focuses on exploring the conditions of children's lives in which development unfolds. Faculty are not only experts in fundamental processes related to infant-parent attachment, cognitive and social development in childhood and adolescence, and moral development, but are also committed to integrating their knowledge with public policy issues concerning child maltreatment and adolescent risk-taking, cultural processes related to morality and self, and the educational contexts of human development. This research-oriented, multidisciplinary program is a collaborative effort with Developmental faculty in the Psychology Department of Educational Psychology at Teachers College.

Students in the UNL Developmental Psychology program have the option of obtaining an Masters degree enroute to the Ph.D.; students are admitted to the graduate program only if they plan to obtain a Ph.D. degree. The UNL Psychology Department does not offer a terminal Masters. 

Financial information: A number of graduate assistantships are available to both first-year and advanced graduate students. Assistantships require 15-18 hours of work per week and assistants may carry up to 12 hours of coursework per semester, and up to 6 hours in the summer. A limited number of fellowships and financial awards are also available.

Minority Group and Special Circumstance Students: The Psychology Department is committed to recruiting a diverse graduate student body, and has formed the Sarata Diversity Enhancement Committee to work toward fulfilling this commitment. Students of minority racial backgrounds, students who are physically challenged, or students who view their circumstances as atypically challenged are especially encouraged to apply. 

Application Instructions:  All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted electronically. We are no longer able to accept paper applications. The online application process starts with the UNL Application for Graduate Admissions.

The application will request the following information:

  • Personal Information such as contact information
  • Academic history and credentials (include the GPA for your major)
  • A Personal Statement
  • A paragraph telling us about a time when you overcame an obstacle or obstacles to achieve a goal.
  • A list of any papers presented or published
  • An indication of which program you are applying to and a listing of 2-3 faculty with whom you are interested in working
  • Names and e-mail addresses of three individuals who will submit letters of recommendation electronically

For questions regarding the application process please contact: 

Jamie Longwell
Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Department of Psychology
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
238 Burnett Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0308

Note: Transcripts are to be uploaded into MyRED. You do not need to send additional copies of transcripts to the Department of Psychology.

NOTE: Some application forms are in Adobe PDF format. If you need Acrobat Reader you can download a copy free at www.adobe.com. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln not to discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.